This half-hour CBS-TV Saturday morning live-action "children's show" aired from 1986 until 1991 and was enormously popular with both children and adults. The program won six Emmy Awards and a host of other accolades during its first season. Incorporating clips from vintage cartoons and old educational films, newly produced 3-D animation, hand puppets, marionettes, and a cast of endearingly eccentric characters led by a gray-suited and red-bow-tied Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens), Pee-wee's Playhouse might best be described as a flamboyant take off on the genre of children's educational TV--a sort of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood meets MTV. The childlike Pee-wee each week welcomed viewers into his technicolor fantasy-land, and led them through a regimen of crafts and games, cartoon clips, "secret words," and "educational" adventures via his Magic Screen. Yet, in stark contrast to the high moral seriousness of its predecessors, Pee-wee's Playhouse was marked from its outset by a campy sensibility and frequent use of double entendre, allowing different types of viewers to enjoy the show in many different ways.

Theme SongWritten by George McGrath, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Paul ReubensCome on in, and pull yourself up a chair (like Chairry!)
Let the fun begin, it's time to let down your hair
Pee-wee's so excited,
'Cause all his friends have been invited (that's you!)
To go wacky, at Pee-wee's Playhouse

Globey's spinnin', Mr. Window's grinnin'
'Cause Pterri's flyin' by (hello!)
The Flowers are singin', the Picture Phone is ringin',
And the Dinosaur family goes, "Hi!"
Mr. Kite's soarin', Conky's still a snorin',
There's the flashing Magic Screen
The Cowntess is so classy, Randy's kinda sassy
A nuttier establishment you've never seen!
Spend the day with Pee-wee, and you'll see what we mean! (Come on!)

Get outta bed, there'll be no more nappin' (Wake up!)
'Cause you've landed in a place where anything can happen
Now we've given you fair warnin'
It's gonna be that kind of mornin'
For bein' wacky
For getting nutty
Golly, it's cuckoo
At Pee-wee's Playhouse